Cotton-picker.



S. S. THOMAS. COTTON PICKER. APPLIOATION FILED DB0. s, mo.

1.107.633. Patented Aug. 1s, 1914.

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" '/Z///z @as fait S. S. THOMAS. COTTON PICKER. APPLIOATION HLED Dna. 5, 1910.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

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STEPHEN S. THOMAS, OF GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI.

COTTOLT-IPICIKIER.

Application led Decembe To all 'zo/1.0m it may concern Be it known that l, S/rnriinN S. Tuoinis, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gulfport, in the county of Harrison and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ('otton- Pickers, of which the following is a specification.

rlhe present .invention relates to a machine adapted to be operated in a cottiin-lield for the purpose of gathering cotton from the boll and conveying it to a suitable receptacle, which in turn is transported to the gin, or other destination of the raw cotton.

The objects of the presen invention are, to form the operating parts of the picker head so that they will he simple and ell'icient of operation and cheap of iuanufaeturi'e; to provide a rota table drinn as a portion of the picker head; and to utilize this drum as a striiiiper for removing'the cotton from the picker teeth.

The invention further consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings7 Figure l is a side elevation showing the mechanism of the present invention in place upon the truck; Fig. 2,4 an enlarged side elevation, partly in section, of one of the picker heads; Fig. 3, a section on line :1l-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 4, a section on line Vt-l of Fig. Q, looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 5, a detail of the motor and the zgeared connection for rotating the flex ible shafts that drive the mechanism of the picker head.

The mechanism of the present invention is supported and. carried upon a. power driven l,truck 2i, comprising a platform 25, front wheels 26 and rear wheels 27, although so far as the invention relating to the picker heads is concerned, this method of supporting the mechanism may be changed ma teiially, and the same need not necessarily be carried upon a power driven truck.

As shown more clearly in Figi'. l, the picker heads 28 lie to the front of the vehicle. As is old and well known in the art, these picker heads are arranged across the front of the vehicle in series, comprising any number desired,-usually sixto ten.` The picker hea ds are grasped in the hands of the operati r` and are applied to the boll of the cotton plL nt. In the present invention these piclteil he lds comprise a drum 29. which is Specification of Letters Patent.

r 5, 1910. Serial No. 595,678.

. The function of the flanges "ateiitcd Aug. 18, 1914.

affixed, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, to a stub sleeve 30 secured to a gear 31 meshing with a gear 3Q. Thus, the drum 29 is revolved in unison with and by means of the rotation of the gear 31. The drinn 30 is provided with a plurality of radially extending holes 33, which, as clearly in Fig. 2, are placed at intervals on the body portion of the drum and one of said holes is provided for each of the picker teeth. The drinn is surrounded bya casin(ir 34, whieh has attached thereto a housing 3o for the gearing which drives the drum; and the walls of the casing are provided with inwardly extending circular flanges 36, which contact with the periphery of the outer ends of the drum with a relatively close fit, although, of course, not close enough to cause any friction therebetween and so interfere with the easy rotation of the drum. 36 is to prevent cotton gathered h v the teeth of the picker head from becoming wedged into the space between the drum and easing and so in time interfering with the easy rotation of the drum. The flange 3G, as shown more clearly in Fig. overlies the space between the outer faces of the drinn and the face of the frame and so prevents the entrance of cotton thereinto.

Positioned in thc shaft 3T, which is otl'set at tral portion the endsl 40,

interior of the drum is a 38 to have its cen- 3!) extend out of alineu'ient with and, as shown more clearly in liig. 3, the ends l0 are mounted within the walls of the easing 34. The ends 40 of this shaft 37 are fixed within the walls of the casing 34 so that the shaft is held against rotation with the rotation of the drinn 29. Positioned upon the central portion 39 of the shaft 37 are a plurality of swinging brackets 41, shown more clearly in Fig. 2; and secured to the outer faces of these brackets are bars 4Q, in each of which hars are mounted a plurality e" wicker teeth 43. As will be seen in Fig. 3, the bars lie in a position so that they clear the lower edge of the ends 4() of the shaft 37. Hence, as they are rotated about this shaft, there is no interference with their movement by reason of their striking the ends of the shaft. The picker teeth, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, project through the holes 33 in the drum 29, and are of a length so that they are never withdrawn. from said openings during the actuation o the drum. As shown, the bars shown more Vance to different positions.

` the central portion 59 -shown in Fi incassa nected to a The connection betweenI the 44a and 46 may consist, as shown in lig. 5, shaft 44 and a dislr 49 connecte 46; and interposed between th lstripv of fibrous. substance 50 friction connection between 42 extend substantiany across the drum, but the brackets are somewhat shorter, so that the depending ortions of thebrackets can all be accommodated upon the shaft.

The operation" of the picker head is as follows:A When the drum 29 is rotated by the rotation of the gear 31, the walls ofthe holes 33 will engage the' picker teeth and flexible shafts more yclearly d to the shaft rllhis forms a the two shafts carry them along simultaneously with the so that motion is imparted therethrough; drum, thus revolving the brackets 41 about but should' the picker encounter anyv imusual of the shaft 37. As gs. 2 and 3, the central portion 39 of the shaft 37 is located in advance of the axial center o the drum 29; hence, as the picker teeth are carried around through the mediumof the rotation of the drum, their ends will be projected out from the drum and withdrawn in toward the drum as they ad- This is because the axial center about obstacle, a slippage will be permitted betweenlthis connection, sothat a bending of the teeth or a breaking of the drum occur... i? l Each ofthe picker heads, which vare all similar to the one heretofore described, is provided with one of the flexible shafts 44"; and each of these shafts is connected to a shaft 46 by of the placing of scribed. Each shaft 46 is provided with a which 'these .teeth revolve off-center from gear 47 meshing with a gear 51 on a shaft the axial center about which the drum is re. 52, the shaft 52, as shown, being suitably volved. l'lalring the parts as shown in Fig. supported by a bracket 53 extendingvfrom 2, as the drum is rotated, the tooth marked a the 'casing of a motor 54, which acts as awill be carried from the position which it is common sourcevof driving power for all the d by the gears and shafts.

Located in the casing 58 is a suction fan secured to a Ishaft 63 which is. driven by a pulley 64 from which extends a" driven from a main driving pulley 66. A ter the cotton has been stripped from the picker, it is carried up in the tube 57 by reason of the suction created by the fan. A pipe shown next adjacent tooth l). The outer periphery of the drum, at the point will be farther removed -from the Aaxial center of the brackets 4l than the periphery of the drum at the point marked a, and, of course, the axial center of the brackets 4l is the center about Hence, since which the teeth are revolved.

these teeth are held in fixed relation with re- 7 4 leads from the casing 58, as show n in Fig. spect to their axial center, it follows that as' l, and enters into a housing 75, which housing is supported by a frame-work ed to hold a receptacle 81, which receptacler is iormed, as shown, of suitable mesh ria 84.

the periphery of the drum is drawn away or brought closer to the axial centerv of the teeth, theteeth will be drawn into or projected out a greater or less degree from the periphery of the drum. j ll claim: j The casing is of a configuration'to provide l. ln a cotton picker, the combination of a chamber 44, into which the cotton is a drum, a fixed casing supporting said lacedwhen it is extracted from the picker teeth. As shown in Fig. 2, this chamber lies to the rear of the picker head; that is to say, it is positioned adjacent the point where the picker teeth are drawn farthesty in to the drum. Hence, as the drum revolves, the picker teeth are projected outside of the periphery of the drur at a point opposite to the chamber 44, ar hen projected serve to gather cotton from ne boil of the plant. And as the drum farther revolves, it carries the teeth with the cotton thereon around until the teeth are withdrawn far enough into the body of the drum so that the periphery of the drum will engage the cottonand strip it from the teeth; and as such withdrawal of the teeth occurs at the point where the chamber 44 is located, the cotton will be stripped olf at this point and placed in the chamber.

rlhle gear 32 which, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4, drives the gear 3l, is actuated by means of a flexible shaft 44, which is condruni, a shaft mounted insaid casing and extending through said drum, a portion of said shaft being offset, a series of brackets each provided with depending portions adapted to be mounted on the offset portion of said shaft, said` depending portions o each bracket being spaced apart an equidistance, said depending portions being ar ranged side by side along vthe termini o haft, and a series to each the offset portion of the which said teeth project, substantially as described.

2; ln a cotton picker, the combination of a drum, a fixed casing supporting said drum, a shaft mounted in said casing and extend ing through said drum, a portion of said shaftobeing odset, a provided with depending portions adapted to be mounted on the odset portion of said shaft, said depending portions of each bracket being spaced apart an equidistance,

the connection heretoforeA demate shaft 46 driven from a gear 41, i

of` a disk 48 connected to the 7d, ese'disks is a will not i belt 65 86 adapts i ict series of brackets each, l

said depending portions boing arranged Sido by Sido along the termini of the, ol'siill portion of the shaft, a bar seein-eil to nach lni'aokol, @zich of said barbI boing of eqnilength, a serios of alinoil picker teeth so amil io nach bar, and fsa'l drum having bolos through which :said teleth project, substan li l ly a described.

B. In a cotton piolfer, tbe nibinalion of a drum, mechanism operatively connected 'lor rotating' fait.' tli'iim, a linedv casing sui porting said drinn, a allait t fixodly mounted in the Walls o1" saicl @swing and (extending 'through and lying in 'tho interior of Said drinn, the conter of said slmit boing off-- center .from the conter of rotation of saiil tlrurn, a nerim; o niemlfieri; mount-ed upon Said shaft to have independent rotation about said shaft, a bar secured lo aaah niember, a series of alinod picker teeth rigidly seoureil to each bar. and said flrum being provided with bolos through which said tootlrprojeizt, sulistantially as fiescrbeil.

l i i l l i i l i l l l l fl. In a cotton picker, the combination of :e drum` inoulianlnin operatively connected :for rotating said drinn, a fixed casing supporting ^aid l1-mn. a shaft ixedly mounted in the Walla` of said casing anti extending tliroiijzli and lying,r in the interior of said drinn, tlm cantor of said shaft being offfontor from tho oenlor of rotation 0f said drinn, a serios ot' sets of picker teeth, each not conipriaing n plurality of tooth arranged longitudinally of the shaft, a, member supporting;` nach not of teeth, said member be ing rotatable, on said shaft, the member supi-wrong any ono sot of teeth bein?r inddponflnntly rotatable about. said shaft: With .ropoot to tlm incrnbors supporting the re mailling' sois of tooth, and :said ilrum being providiwl with liolos through which said tooth project, substantially as described.

STEPHEN S. THOMAS.

litnosses:

Hanny Hooons, J. .li- Tmnnu.. 

